


The Music Box

by Tallburntbacon



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Beginnings, Elves, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28938609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tallburntbacon/pseuds/Tallburntbacon
Summary: Romana Fortner was visiting her home town for the first time in months. While on a stroll in the woods, she finds an old music box that she remembers from her childhood.What was it doing there?
Kudos: 1





	The Music Box

There was something about a music box that always made me think of home. Maybe it’s the angelic melody reminding me of my mother’s modulated voice singing me to sleep after a nightmare or it helps me remember that fuzzy memory of the weird, frazzled, diamond shaped box that only played a piano version of the für Elise. That little box calmed me down like tea would to an anxious person. No matter the massive affect that music box had on my childhood, it being the reason I started piano lessons and the reason I now play for people in orchestral concerts, I still cannot find it anywhere.   
My mother says it never existed, my father says I would just hum the für Elise to myself at night although he didn’t know where I’d first heard it and my grandmother anytime I would bring it up would just chuckle and change the subject. However, this was not the case for last Wednesday. Once again the subject of childhood possessions was brought up and usual I tried to see if anyone knew anything about that vague, mysterious box and unlike previous attempts my grandmother looked at me with the sincerest smile yet she seemed to be lacking joy in her eyes. She told me that day,  
“Romana, one day you’ll ask yourself if this is really what you want and when that time comes I want you to take the chance. I took too long to answer and now my chance has passed but you’re youthful and full of energy so surely you could live the life I never got to.”  
At the time I thought it was just her way of saying go for what you want and live life to the fullest but now looking back on it that’s normally something you would say to a teenager thinking of what to do with their life and not a 27-year-old who already knows and is in the process of her future. I continued on with my week without a hitch and now that leads me to here, I’m lost in the lush forests of Rimisey.   
The first time I come back to my home town for months and I come back and suddenly creepy music boxes just so happen to be playing the für Elise are lying in the middle of the woods. Just like I remember, the scrapped up, violet painted, rough exterior of the box and the claw like, singular scratch mark on the top. It was just sitting there and I had no idea what to do. The box I had been looking for since I was 12 was just lying there, the box I had been told constantly didn’t exist, the box that started my love of classical music.  
In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees, I just stood still no idea what to do next. Should I pick it up? Or should I leave and move on with my life? I want to hear it again. I want to hear that soothing tune. The für Elise, a classic piece from the brilliant brain of Beethoven. Music to my ears… probably because it was music, but I mean it is the symphony of my heart, the rate of which it beats. I want to hear it again.   
I walked towards the box, without a second thought I picked it up and lifted the top. I was expecting to hear the soothing symphonies but instead my ears were cursed with hearing a noise of pure agony. A screeching that that makes my ear feels like they are bleeding. The sound went on for what seemed like hours as I looked around. The trees seemed to scream with it and the ground rumbled along. By this point I was struggling on the ground, leaning on my hands. I can’t believe this! This has to be some weird auditory hallucination!   
Eventually everything stopped, the trees seemed to still and my eyes refocused. Sweat stains and water from the damp ground and rain covered my light yellow pinafore and white undershirt.   
“Romana Fortner, blood of Astor, music’s divinity, her grace, the duchess of Sage valley your presence has been requested at the Charoite moon ball. I am your escort please allow me to fix your ruined dress.”  
A short, 4-foot elf creature with pointed ears appeared before me. It has pale green skin that seemed to be deflecting of the rain and bright, shiny, blue eyes that sparkled like a gem stone. It was wearing a white button shirt that was and continued staying completely dry and light brown ripped skinny jeans that did not at all look good with his… everything but I’m no fashionista. Reality hit me like an oncoming train.  
“AHH!”  
Before I knew it I was screaming at the tiny thing in front of me.  
“Calm down your grace, please, we need to prepare for the ball we only have 1 hour to prepare and I’m sure everyone will be waiting your arrival considering it has been if I remember correctly… 1385 years since someone of the blood Astor has joined us.” All I could do was stare at this weird being as they muttered under their breath, “Would’ve been 40 years ago if the mischievous one had accepted and I wouldn’t STILL be doing this but here we are.”  
They started to realise I was staring and just started staring back until a staring contest had begun. I blinked out my frustrations causing the little elf to cheer themselves.  
“Wait… Wait…Wait.” I stood onto my feet shaking as I spoke, “Who are you!? What is the blood of Astor!? Mischievous one!? Charoite moon ball!? I just wanted to listen to the für Elise not go on some weird hallucinogenic trip!”  
During my entire freak out the creature just crossed their arms and watched with a steely glare.  
“Yah done.”  
“Yes.” I took a deep breath in, “Now I am yes.”  
They answered, “I am Dakota, keeper of Astor’s, official cartographer of Sage valley, an elf of amazing fashion sense and your escort to the Chariote moon ball. The chariote moon ball of which we will be late to if we don’t hurry up! I’ll explain everything on the way ok! Now, Romana Fortner will you take my hand and join me.”   
They held out their hand and it clicked with me. My grandmother always loved chaos, always loved to cause mischief and at times, when I was a child, I would join her. She had said she lost her chance and she took too long to decide. Now I had my chance. A chance to what though? My life is here, where am I going? Am I going? Grandmother said to take a chance and I assume this is what she meant but if this turns out to be the wrong choice I’m blaming her.  
“OK,” I looked the creature… Dakota dead in the eyes, “I’ll join you.”   
I took their hand and everything went black.


End file.
